Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Blaðsíða 251

CHRONIQUE TRIMESTRIELLE
241
Northern Ministerial meetings. In
the above-mentioned meetings at
Geneva, the agenda of which have
generally been limited to particular
points which were being discus-
sed at the League sittings in ques-
tion, Switzerland used to take part
too. She was also invited to the
meeting in Copenhagen, but did not
wish to attend. It will be remem-
bered that the perpetual neutrality
of Switzerland has again been for-
mally confirmed by the Resolution
passed by the Council of the League
on May 14th, 1938, by which the
Council takes note “that Switzer-
land, invoking her perpetual neu-
trality, has expressed the intention
not to participate any longer in any
manner in the putting into opera-
tion of the provisions of the Cove-
nant relating to sanctions, and de-
clares that she will not be invited to
do so.” By the London resolution of
theCouncil of February 13th, 1920,
it had already been established that
“Switzerland as a perpetually neu-
tral State should not participate in
measures of a military character,”
and that she was consequently re-
leased from any obligation to take
part in military sanctions and to
allow foreign troops to pass through
her territory in connection with any
action on the part of the League in
pursuance to Article 16 of the
Covenant. The Council resolution
of May 14th, 1938, means that this
formal recognition is now extended
into a complete exemption from
any obligations under the sanctions
system, including economic and fi-
nancial sanctions, and this consti-
tutes a complete return to the neu-
trality policy pursued by Switzer-
land before 1914. The Governments
of Germany and Italy have ex-
pressed their satisfaction with this
step by an exchange of notes with
the Berne Government. The most
important problem on the agenda
of the Copenhagen meeting had
thus already been settled as far as
Switzerland was concerned, both
formally and in fact, and this must
be regarded as the principal reason
why that country did not wish to
take part in the discussions.
Prior to meeting their Belgian,
Luxemburgian, and Dutch collea-
gues, the four Northern foreign
ministers discussed questions of spe-
cial Northern interest. At the plen-
ary meeting itself the international
situation was made the subject of
an exhaustive debate, the most im-
portant subject of discussion being
relations with the League of Na-
tions and the sanctions system. The
refugee problem, the question of re-
presentation in the part of Spain
occupied by General Franco, and
the form which such representation
oughtto assume,were also discussed.
At the end of the meeting, the
following communiqué was issued
by the Danish Ministry for Foreign
Affairs:
“The foreign ministers of Bel-
gium, Denmark, Finland, Luxem-
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